Impacts and A-ha Moments

 Seeing The Light

acrylic on 300lb paper

NFS

Ahhhh, it's good to be feeling better. I am still stuffed up but I do think the cloud has lifted. I tried to nap this afternoon, but my mind wasn't settling down. I started thinking about more ideas for paintings, thoughts to share for my blog, what to do with paintings that won't be in the show.... you know... important stuff. When I realized I couldn't sleep I got up and did something I haven't done for (quite possibly) years... I had a bath! Now don't get me wrong and may I make it very clear.... I have showered in the last several years, albeit not as often as before I had kids, but I have not made the time for the luxury of a bath. It was a treat. I found some old lavender bath milk powder, put the jets on and soaked. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a great book.... and a glass of wine, so I'm drinking that now to make up for it. Excuse any typos that may crop up as this post progresses!

Speaking of books, there is one thing I know about me... I am a reader. I love a good book. I love it when I don't want to put a book down; when I am so engrossed that it hurts to stop reading, but at the same time if it is a really good book I love to make it last as long as possible. I stopped reading when I had my boys until a friend started a book club about 3 years ago and I got back into it. I'm not part of the club anymore, but I will be forever grateful that it got me reading again. The first book we read in the club was "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd. When I finished the book I felt weepy. Why had I allowed myself to stop reading? What was going on with this mother business that I halted so much of who I was before these little creatures entered my world? Was I supposed to erase who I was? Was I supposed to become something entirely new when I became a mom like a caterpillar does when it basically liquefies before it morphs into a butterfly? Did I sign up for this? Was I putting these constraints on myself or was there some sort of expectation I was feeling from somewhere? Or was I simply not able to be multidimensional?

But now I know I can read and I can raise children at the same time! Who knew?!!! It's a revelation.

There is a tie-in here between the book topic and the painting I posted. This is the first ever of my paintings that I liked. It was my A-Ha! moment. I had taken my first class at the Emma Lake Kenderdine campus in summer 2000 and I completely stunk out the joint, so I pulled myself together and took a technical painting class that winter. I stunk pretty royally during that class, too. Something possessed me to sign up again for Emma Lake in 2001 and halfway through that class we went to Spruce River. Three tries at a painting later something clicked and after 2 hours of "going with it" I had finished this painting. It was on the invitation to my first show at the coffee shop in town and although people wanted to buy it, there was no way it was for sale. While working on this painting I learned something about acrylics that I was missing- how to layer them, how to glaze with them, how to simply accept them. I also discovered that I needed to focus on what interested me compositionally as opposed to trying to include things I couldn't care less about (like the spruce trees above the sweeping grasses). The single event of painting at Spruce River that day had a huge impact in my painting life. Huge.

Which brings me to one of my all time favorite books.... which I have read 2 times since I discovered it this spring: "The Impact of A Single Event" by R.L. Prendergast. Buy it. Read it. Tell everyone! I just discovered that if you click on one of your favorite things on the profile page of your blog you will automatically be on a compilation list with every other person that also has it as their favorite thing. Super cool right? Well, I am the only person who has this book down as their favorite thing! This is unacceptable!!! :o) I realize I am no Oprah and I can't do for R.L. Prendergast on my measly blog what she can do on her international Emmy winning day time talk show, but darned if I'm not gonna try! People, get yourself a copy of this book and read it! Love it! Share it! Make a book club and talk about it. If nothing else put it on your favorite books list so I am not the only one!

I gave my copy of this book to my painter friend Debbie this summer at Emma Lake. I feel like the friendship and connection we made when we met there in 2007 has forever changed both of our lives. It was one of those single events that changes you. I told her someday we would go together to paint the place at the end of the book.

Do I have you curious enough to read it now....? I hope so and let me know if you do!

Deep Breath

Whew!!! The boys bedtime couldn't come quick enough for me tonight. How do kids have that much energy? Seriously, non-stop all day. Tommy started Kindergarten this week and the teacher told me after school today that he was such a great listener and he just did so well. I was so proud because he is, well, a tactile kid; a do-er shall we say and I wasn't sure he could keep his mitts to himself. I think he used all his self-control at school because after school he couldn't for the life of himself not bug Sammy! I think all I said after school was, "Tommy leave Sammy alone. Get off your brother. Give Sammy some space. Sammy doesn't have to play with you if he doesn't want to. Tommy, stop sitting on your brother. Let go of Sammy's cheeks. Find something else to do. No you can't have candy." You get the idea. Just when I thought my patience couldn't take any more, something cute happened. We were upstairs doing the night-time routine. I was in my bedroom, Sammy came in and we both headed to the bathroom to see if Tommy was done brushing his teeth. I stopped just short of the door and couldn't believe my little fella. His toothbrush has a suction cup on the bottom of it, I guess so it can stand up by the sink when it's not in use. Tommy had it suctioned to the side of the counter-top so it was sticking out parallel to the floor. He was bent down moving his head back and forth, side to side, up and down trying to brush his teeth that way! I looked down at Sammy who was standing beside me and his face had this soft look to it. He simply said, "Cute". I took a deep breath, let it out, enjoyed the moment and was able to wrap up the night without losing my mind.

Untouched

22x28
acrylic on canvas

sold

I have been in touch with the gallery curator this week and we have nailed down a date for my opening reception. It will be on Sunday, November 8 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. I think it will be called Nicki Ault : Multitudes (A Collection of Recent Work). I had told her about the Walt Whitman quote and gave this to her as an option for the title as well as a few other ideas. This is the one she picked. Now that she has these details nailed down she is going to get working on the advertising. I am posting a painting today that will likely be in the show. It is one of the larger pieces I will have and it is done from a photo I took when I went on a hike with my kids through Boundary Bog near Waskesiu Lake in northern Saskatchewan. It is acrylic on canvas and is 22x28". I hope you like it.

I had a conversation with one of the artists (Jan Corcoran) at the studio yesterday to try to get an idea of what to include in the show and also what to do if I disagree with the curator. She said that quite often new artists want to put in everything; as much as possible and just load up the walls. Ahhhh, guilty as charged! Yup, that is where my mindset has been! Jan said that the curator wants to find some cohesion between the work so that it makes sense as a show. And she said to remember that less is more. I love learning! I am going to take a deep breath, release my grip and let the curator do her job and see what she comes up with. I will try to be vocal if there is something I strongly disagree with, but I am curious now to see what her vision might be for my paintings. Learning is good. Growth is good.

Outbid and Out-to-Lunch

Okay, so besides trying to establish myself as an artist I am also interested in assembling my own humble collection of original artwork from artists I admire. I want to support the community of which I want to be a part. This is a new venture and over the last year I have bought 2 original paintings and I was given one by my parents for my 40th birthday last year. It's a start. Yesterday I hoped to add to my fledgling collection when a "daily painter" I have been admiring from afar put a gorgeous little gem up for auction. He is located in Berlin and makes a small (5.9"x5.9") oil painting every day without fail and has been doing so since 2006! Talk about dedication! (I don't think he has kids, hee hee). Anyway, for each painting he posts he has a hidden auction where you email him your bid and the highest bidder at the end of a 24 hour period wins. His paintings all sell without fail by the end of the 24 hour period; day in and day out. I am a huge admirer of his commitment, his skill, his compositions, his choice of subject and use of colour and even his written word- I think he would make a great poet. Anyway, on this particular morning I finally decided to jump in to the bidding war (I say "finally" because I have watched his blog for about a year now and never tried to get any of the many paintings I loved. And the whole notion that I "jumped in" after a year once again makes me realize that I have my own special version of spontaneity). Anyhoo, The bidding always starts at 150 EURO which is about $233.00 CAN, so I decided to go in at 220 EURO or about $341.00 CAN. There was 2 hours left in the process and I figured I was low, but once I found out the other bids I thought I could go up a bit until I reached my maximum which would have been about $500.00-$600.00 CAN. Anyways, I hear nothing back. Finally the two hours have passed so I go to his blog and sure enough the painting is sold. Sigh. No painting for me and I am no more the wiser as to what the bids might have been. I check my emails later on and to my surprise the artist has emailed me back! He seems so kind and just wanted to let me know that the highest bid was... are you sitting down... the highest bid was 850 EURO!!!!!!! That is about $1320.00 CAN! Sweet Jesus!!! I felt like bit of a jackass with my piddly offer, but seriously who could have predicted that? Obviously not me! I was way out-to-lunch with that offer! So I will just tuck that little dream away for awhile... but mark my words... one day I will own an Edward B. Gordon!